UH Board of Regents Approve Amended System Reorganization Proposal

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) held a special meeting this afternoon on the UH Mānoa campus. The following agenda items were approved:

System Level Reorganization

The BOR approved the reorganization proposal for the UH system administration with the following amendments:

1. Change in narrative language regarding the role of the Chief of Staff and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

2. The solid line from the Vice President for Student Affairs to the Vice President for Academic Affairs is changed to a dotted line to represent a consultative line of communication.

3. The Director of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action relocates to the Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs and University General Counsel.

4. The line of communication from the Vice President for Research to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi (RCUH) is deleted, and partial funding for the position from RCUH shall not occur.

5. Inclusion in the proposal narrative of an explanation for the change of the line from the Vice President for Legal Affairs and University General Counsel to the President; the line becomes dotted — consultative.

6. Additional language in section IV, "Impact on Staffing," to clarify the move of positions from the Office of the Chancellor for Community Colleges to the Office of the President for International Education.

Originally placed on the agenda for consideration by the BOR at its November monthly meeting, decision on the reorganization proposal was deferred to this special meeting to allow for more dialogue and consultation with student groups and union organizations. The proposed reorganization was presented with the aforementioned amendments as a result of that collaboration and was endorsed by HGEA, The Student Caucus, and Mānoa Faculty.

"Thanks to the Board of Regents, and their commitment to make this university system among the best in the world, we have moved 180 degrees in the past year and a half," said UH President Evan S. Dobelle. "It comes down to attitude, determination and dedication."

Highlights of the reorganization proposal include the creation of new offices for a Chief of Staff, Vice President for Research, Vice President for International Education, and Vice President for Student Affairs. It also creates a Council of Chancellors that reports directly to the president, therefore eliminating the Office of the Senior Vice President and Chancellor for Community Colleges as the community college provosts are redefined as chancellors.

The BOR also approved the following personnel appointments:

Rolf-Peter Kudritzki was appointed UH Mānoa Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education. Kudritzki has served as Director of the Institute for Astronomy since October 2000 and will continue in that position.

Carolyn Tanaka was appointed to Associate Vice President for External Affairs and University Relations. Previously a Honolulu news broadcaster for KHON and KGMB and a graduate of UH Mānoa, Tanaka has worked in the communications field for over 20 years. Tanaka served as Director of Communications and Press Secretary to the governor between 1986 and 1994. Since 1995 she has held the position of Vice President for Public Affairs for McNeil Wilson Communications Inc.